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Hell must have froze over today; I agree w/ Steny Hoyer

First this from the U.S. Department of the Interior:

Secretary Zinke Sends Monument Report to the White House

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke sent a draft report to the president which included his findings and recommendations on national monuments that were under review as a result of the April 26, 2017 executive order. The report summary can be read here. The extensive 120-day review included more than 60 meetings with hundreds of advocates and opponents of monument designations, tours of monuments conducted over air, foot, car, and horseback (including a virtual tour of a marine monument), and a thorough review of more than 2.4 million public comments submitted to the Department on regulations.gov. Additionally, countless more meetings and conversations between senior Interior officials and local, state, Tribal, and non-government stakeholders including multiple Tribal listening sessions.

The review was initiated by President Trump in order to restore trust in the multiple-use mission of the Department and to give rural communities a voice in federal land management decisions. In order to make the process transparent and give local residents and stakeholders a voice, the Secretary announced on May 5, 2017 the opening up of a formal comment period for the review, as the President directed. This was the first time ever that a formal comment period was open on regulations.gov for national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act.

“No President should use the authority under the Antiquities Act to restrict public access, prevent hunting and fishing, burden private land, or eliminate traditional land uses, unless such action is needed to protect the object,” said Secretary Zinke.“The recommendations I sent to the president on national monuments will maintain federal ownership of all federal land and protect the land under federal environmental regulations, and also provide a much needed change for the local communities who border and rely on these lands for hunting and fishing, economic development, traditional uses, and recreation.”

While traveling across the country, Secretary Zinke met with hundreds of local stakeholders and heard concerns about some national monuments negatively impacting things like local revenue from federal lands, agriculture, private property rights, public access to land, traditional Tribal uses of the land, and timber harvesting.Over the 120-day review, Secretary Zinke visited eight national monument sites in six states:

Bears Ears (UT)

Grand Staircase Escalante (UT)

Katahdin Woods and Waters (ME)

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts

Cascade Siskiyou (OR & CA)

Organ Mountain Desert-Peaks (NM)

Basin and Range (NV)

Gold Butte (NV)

The following national monuments were announced to have been removed from review prior to the August 24 deadline:

Then Hoyer's response, with which I concur. These big money special interests can't wait to get their hands on the commons so they can rape and pillage.

Hoyer Statement on the Trump Administration's Decision to Shut Down Vast Portions of Public Lands and National Monuments

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced recommendations to shut down vast portions of a number of public lands and national monuments across the country:

“Today’s announcement by the Department of the Interior represents an abdication of this Administration’s responsibility to serve as stewards of our public lands and national monuments for current and future generations. Earlier this year, I joined with Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to urge Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to reject efforts to shrink or eliminate national monuments, and I continue to oppose any changes that roll back protections for these great open spaces meant for the enjoyment of all Americans to explore, fish, hunt, and seek communion with nature.

“Shutting down America’s public lands and national monuments is deeply unpopular, and the economic impact of doing so is substantial. I also continue to stand with Native American tribes in the fight to preserve their access to the lands that have sustained them for generations. All of us who call this great country our home have a duty to preserve it for generations to come, and I urge President Trump not to make any of the changes the Secretary of the Interior is recommending.”

What is Steny's statement on the grievance groups that want to destroy our national monuments?

Oh, wait, I forgot - those are his political base.

Anyway, here's the history:

During the Obama administration, land was designated as "a monument" in order to prevent drilling and mining that would contribute to energy independence. Most of it's crap, Maobama just didn't want us producing our own energy. Trump has ordered a review of these areas to determine if they really are worth preserving, or whether it was just The Chairman playing politics and trying to keep us dependent on his terrorist buddies in the Middle East.

Obama created the Bears Ears monument in the final days of his administration. Utah’s governor and the state’s congressional delegation opposed the designation, saying it was done against the wishes of citizens eager for development.

I urge anyone with a tiny little world that encompasses just a few square miles to go out west and see for yourselves. It's ENORMOUS out there and there is plenty of space to mine for energy AND go fishing. That's why I was like when they were bawling over the Alaska pipeline - good grief, do people really not understand how huge Alaska is??

As usual, Steny is just blathering against his mortal enemy, the Republican. Now he can go back to his nap.

I urge anyone with a tiny little world that encompasses just a few square miles to go out west and see for yourselves. It's ENORMOUS out there and there is plenty of space to mine for energy AND go fishing.

Alaska - IIRC
- the area under proposed development in the 90's Under Clinton 1100 acres vs ten's of thousands for the park they wanted to develop in

the environmentalists made it sound like OIL Companies were going to develop the entire state

We’re tempted to suggest a conspiracy here — but it’s just liberals agreeing yet again that conservatives have hidden, evil motives, because modern liberals simply can’t conceive of any other reason to disagree with the liberal consensus.

“Moral precepts are constant through the ages and not obedient to circumstances.”

During the Obama administration, land was designated as "a monument" in order to prevent drilling and mining that would contribute to energy independence. Most of it's crap, Maobama just didn't want us producing our own energy. Trump has ordered a review of these areas to determine if they really are worth preserving, or whether it was just The Chairman playing politics and trying to keep us dependent on his terrorist buddies in the Middle East.

Exactly. So many people are fed the second half of the whole story but not the first. Under King Putt, the BLM, NPS and others were directed to severely curtail or restrict access to all manner of public lands. Not just for mineral, timber or oil/gas extraction but even for mundane but popular human recreational activities!!

Exactly. So many people are fed the second half of the whole story but not the first. Under King Putt, the BLM, NPS and others were directed to severely curtail or restrict access to all manner of public lands. Not just for mineral, timber or oil/gas extraction but even for mundane but popular human recreational activities!!

I'm not aware of any added federal restrictions placed on hunting or fishing in those places either.

Despite what Obama tried to do, and despite the NRA's warnings, gun rights were expanded under his administration (on a federal level).

I was not talking about anything to do with firearms. As a certified Tread Lightly trainer and avid off-road enthusiast for 40 years, I saw first hand how the boy king cow towed to environmental groups and closed area after area to ORV recreation. It was a mission.